India’s national digital identity authority, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has published a series of office memoranda and circulars addressing pricing, physical card design, and the use of Aadhaar branding, reflecting a set of incremental but operationally relevant updates to the Aadhaar ecosystem.
The most immediate change is a revision to the service fee for ordering an Aadhaar PVC Card. In an Office Memorandum dated January 1, 2026, UIDAI increased the fee from ₹50 to ₹75. UIDAI’s public FAQ pages now state that the ₹75 charge is inclusive of goods and services tax and speed post delivery charges, and applies to orders placed through UIDAI’s official channels with effect from January 1. UIDAI’s circulars page lists the memorandum as published on January 1, 2026, indicating the revised pricing took effect at the start of the calendar year.
Alongside the pricing change, UIDAI also issued a circular confirming the discontinuation of the Aadhaar hologram on Aadhaar PVC Cards. The circular, approved by the competent authority and signed by a Deputy Director in UIDAI’s logistics function, states that Aadhaar PVC Cards will henceforth be issued without the hologram. UIDAI provides the “Order Aadhaar PVC Card” service directly, and the change applies to cards issued under this service going forward. While the document itself is dated October 17, 2025, it appeared on UIDAI’s circulars page during the January 1–2, 2026 publication window.
The removal of the hologram does not signal a broader change to Aadhaar’s security framework, but reflects an adjustment to the physical features of the optional PVC card product. UIDAI has increasingly emphasized QR-code-based and digital verification mechanisms over reliance on physical card features alone.
UIDAI also published a further circular on January 2, 2026 titled “Prevention of Unauthorized use of Aadhaar name & logo.” While the full PDF text was not extractable in this review, the publication signals renewed enforcement attention on misuse of Aadhaar branding by third parties, an area UIDAI has addressed repeatedly through guidance and compliance actions.
Taken together, the three documents reflect UIDAI’s ongoing focus on operational housekeeping: adjusting service pricing, standardizing physical card issuance, and reinforcing controls around the Aadhaar brand.
Sources: UIDAI, UIDAI, UIDAI, Economic Times
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By Ji-seo Kim
